Your still in his hands (2)

Give honor to God..

The pastor First Lady and first family.

District Missionary Mother Jones

I’ve known pastor Jones since I can remember.

As a young man I’ve watched him…

He was someone I always inspired to mirror and

He and I were somewhat the same in the fact that we both were church boys as well as athletes.

So I would see him playing on the Feildnom Friday nights and then see him preach and wreck a service…

He set the example of how to maintain integrity by participating in both.

He afforded me opportunities to that if it had not been for my connection with him I would not have had. He is man that does not bring people down but lifts them up and thats how you know you have a great pastor lifepoint..

I continued to watch him even to this day and he has been a mentor and a big brother to me in ministry and in life.

Psalm 37:37-40

King James Version

37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

I know that by no means have he not had any problems or issues to get to were he is. Im sure he can say that there were some trials he had to overcome. Issues he had to face however it was all in gods plan.

The same

For

Some

Of us.

Sermon: Your still in his hands

Jeremiah 18 1-6

“The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he was making a work on the wheels. And when the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith Jehovah. Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel.”

Jeremiah 18:1-4, 6 ASV

Isaiah 64:8

“ But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”

Isaiah 64:8 KJV

Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel.”

Your still in his hands

Pastor Jones did not just arrive. Im pretty sure he will tell you he had to overcome some things to get to where he is at today he can say that he wasn’t an overnight success, but through the years he can say God shaped him. Many of us can say the same do I have anyone that can say that God had to shape us, God had to break us, God had to bend us to get to the place where we are now. I believe that many of in here can look back over our life and we can say that there are some trials that I had to overcome. We did not just arrive. We can say that it hasn’t always been easy but the reason you are still here is because God still have a purpose and call over your life. The reason sickness(Covid) couldn’t take you out is because God has a call, The reason the accident couldn’t destroy you is because God has a purpose and a plan for our lives. God in his genius does nothing by mistake. He moves and designs us intentionally. He is the same God that created the heavens and earth. He is the same God that Spoke and there was light, The same God that spoke to seas and created the waters and made seas. Spoke and there was cattle. However, when it came to man he did not speak it he made it. He said let us MAKE man in our own image, which means God spoke other living beings to existence but the difference between us was he made us he created us in his own image, and when creating something it requires him to use his hands.

Gods hands are oftentimes used as a figure speach which points to not only to God's sovereign power in creations but his actions on the behalf of his people.

Biblically there are many references to the hand of God.

In his hand are the deep places of the earth:

The strength of the hills is his also.

Jesus Declared that in John 10:27

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they

follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall

any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than

all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.

1st Peter 5:6

Tells us to

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you

due time:

My brothers and sisters be in the hand of God means that we are constantly evolving and changing to please him.

My brothers and sisters many people believe that because you’re in the hand of God you won’t go through or make any mistakes.

Do I have anyone that can say, I’ve made some mistakes but I’m still in his hands. I’ve had to go through some things but I’m still in his hands.

Paul understood this when he wrote in Philippians 3:13-Brethren I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing i do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.I press toward the mark of the price calling of God in Christ Jesus.

In other words I know Im not perfect. I know I may have some shortcomings. But I won’t allow those things to distract me from getting to where God wants me to be. The truth is we are all still in Gods hands and he is still preparing us, equipping us, forming us, he is still processing is and making us to be who he wants us to be.

Don't get discouraged you’re still in his hands.

I remember growing up we used to sing a little song. He got the whole world in his hand. He got the whole world in his hand.

Context-Parable- A short vivid storyline using imagery to teach truths.

Text

My Brothers and my sisters Here we see in the text the prophet Jeremiah writes the text in first person.At sundry times, and in diverse manners, God was pleased to speak to our fathers by the prophets, before he spoke to us in these last days by his Son. To Elijah, he revealed himself by a small still voice. To Jacob, by a dream. To Moses, he spoke face to face. Sometimes he was pleased to send a favorite prophet on some especial errand; and whilst he was thus employed, vouchsafed to give him a particular message, which he was ordered to deliver without reserve

The Lord spoke to Jeremiah saying go down to the potters house and there…. I will cause thee to hear my words. However, before God spoke a word to Jeremiah he paints a picture...when Jeremiah went to the Potters house he most likely didn't know what to look for and behold he looked up and saw a potter working diligently with clay on the wheel.

There he learned that the potter sometimes rejected some of the pots, perhaps because of poor quality.

God gives the similarities that as the clay is in the potters hand so are the children of Isreal....

He says I want you to sit and see that as the clay us still in the Potter so is Israel still in my hand.

When we understand the history of the house of Israel we would appreciate the fact that they were still in the potters hand.

They had so many ups and downs, their relationship with God is complex, one moment they were celebrating coming out of the wilderness

the next moment they were complaining.

God gives Jeremiah the truths That God has the power to form and fashion his people as he pleases.

It is easy for God to form us but sometimes it's difficult for us to understand what God is making, truth be told sometimes we even fight against what God is doing and where God is taking us.

But if we notice the relationship between the potter and clay we understand that it would be obsurd for the clay to fight against the potter, but rather the clay lets the potter form it until it becomes what the potters designed it to be.

What the potter makes depends on the quality of the clay and the same with Gods people. What God makes of his people depends on the quality and the response of Gods people.

Many of us can look over our life and say that we are at a place in our life were we are spiritual mature and we have grown tremendously but there are some areas in our life that God continues to work on. If we were to be honest. Most of us can say that there are sometimes I had to remind myself that God is not Yet through with me.

..

In verse 3 Jeremiah says “Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.”

Then he continues in verse 4 by saying, “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter.

3rd verse. The potter was working-Which signifies an illustration that God is working

The Vessel that he made although it was in the potters hand, it was still marred-———

We must mention this because often times when we are going through a process we forget who’s hand we are in. Is there anyone in here ever been as long as the clay was in the potters hand it did not matter how marred it was. My brothers and sisters if its not good he’s still working.

Many of us are marred

Marred by Family problems

Marred by Divorce

Marred by a loss of a job

Marred by the loss of a loved one-

Marred by financial problems-

Merriums Dictionary defines marring as to ruin the beauty or perfection of (something) : to hurt or damage the good condition of (something).

Truth of the matter is that sometime situations come in our life that mares us. That hurt us. That damages the good condition that we were in before we came into that situation.

My brothers and sisters no matter what our tax bracket is. No matter what kind of family we come from. No matter how saved we are life has a way of bringing situations our way that well Mar us, that will hurt us, that comes to break us. However it is in those moments that we must realize that although Im marred Im still in his hand. Not only am I still in his hand, but he still has a plan.

4th verse God uses the clay to show us that no matter how marred we are he is able to build us again. 4th verse states that the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: So what did he do? He made it again another vessel as seemed good to the potter to make it.

God made the vessel so that it pleased him. Is there anyone in here can say. I thought I knew what I was doing in my life. I was pleased with how my life was going. I was on my own path. Thought I had it all figured out. However God had to take my marred self and make me to somebody that pleased him

Sometimes God has to break us down in order to build us back up-

No matter what situation we face we must understand that the potter is still working on the clay.

My brothers and sisters In order for there to be a work on the wheel there was some things the potter had to have before he can begin to work.

I. He needs SOMETHING TO MOLD

A. This was the clay. When we look at clay. Clay is basically useless when it is dug out of the ground. It is shapeless, has no purpose, no beauty, it is no good and is of basically no good to anyone. This is a picture of us when we were in our depraved state. We were sinners and a like a piece clay we were shapeless and had no purpose There was no beauty in our life, But the potter put us on the wheel and we became a work on the wheels and the circumstances of life started us spinning.

I believe someone can testify to the fact that my life did not start spinning and moving until God put me on the will..

Thank God I'm still on the wheel..

Not only does the potter need something to mold but

II. THERE has to be a Purpose)

A. We didn’t end up on the potter’s wheel by mistake. There is a motive behind everything the potter is doing When he is forming that vessel he already has something in mind as to his will for us. He knows what kind of vessel he wants to make

A potter doesn’t sit down to make a vase and by chance make a bowl.

Gods knows what he is doing in our life

(Romans 8:29)For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren

Before I formed you I knew you..

There is a perfect Will of God for each and everyone of us but it is up to us to find it

Not only does there have to be a method but

III. HE HAS A METHOD

A. The wheel begins to spin starting to work. The ugly piece of clay is on the wheel. The potter has kneaded it out like dough so he could have something to work with. He got some water just in case the clay gets a little dry or to hot. It doesn’t have any form. But the potters shape it perfect in order to get make us out what he wants to make is out.

He does not use the same method with one person as he does with another..

A potter takes more time when he’s making something that has purpose when he making something that has substance..

It's easy to just throw something together..But when you are creating something that will last it takes time.. So his method maybe long but it's working for your Good.

Romans 8:28 confirms that all things work together for the good of them that love the lord and those who are called according to his purpose.

according to the text the potter makes something and he has to break it apart..

Because he has something better in mind..

We should not give up when we when we are broken..

We should not give up when we are torn apart,

We should not give up when we are hit with life blows because it’s making us stronger.

Summary:

God is shaping each of us to be who he wants us to be to fulfill our own purpose.

Just as the potter makes different vessels for different purposes.

A true potter can make many vessels All from the same clay,

He can make a vase, a bowl, a lamp, a cup, each of these has their own purpose each of these products are formed to fulfill a need and called for a purpose

Illustration

It remind me of an old story of grandfather and a grandson who were looking for a gift for his grandson Suddenly the grandson spots a beautiful vase, “Look at this lovely piece of work”, he says to his grandfather He picks it up and says you’re right, this is one of the loveliest vases I have ever seen.

They asked the staff to see the vase and the staff member went to the back and got another vase the grandson wondered why he couldn’t have the vase on display?“

The staff member stated that the one that is showing is just for display. However, it wasn’t always beautiful.”

The grandfather ask it, what do you mean when you say it weren’t always beautiful?. Use your spiritual imagination and go with me. The store staff said Well, says once It was just an ugly soggy lump of clay.

The store staff explained that if the vase could talk it will tell you that none day some man with dirty wet hands threw me on a wheel. Then he started turning me around and around until I got so dizzy I couldn’t see straight. But the man with the wet hands said, Not Yet! Then he started to poke me and punch me until I hurt all over, Stop..Stop I cried, but the man said “Not Yet”. Each time I thought he was through, he would crumble and roll me up and began to poke and punch me again.

Finally he did stop. But then he did something much worse, he put me into a furnace. It got hotter and hotter until I couldn’t stand it. Stop..Stop.. I cried. But the man said, “Not Yet”.

Finally when I thought I was going to burn up, the man took me out of the furnace. Then some short lady began to paint me, and the fumes got so bad that they made me feel sick. “Stop…Stop..” I cried. “Not Yet” said the lady. Finally she did stop, but then she gave me back to the man and he put me back into that awful furnace. This time it was hotter than before. “Stop…Stop” I cried, but the man said “Not Yet”.

Finally he took me out of the furnace and let me cool. When I was completely cool, a pretty lady put me on this shelf, next to this mirror. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I was amazed, I could not believe what I saw. I was no longer ugly, soggy and dirty; I was beautiful, firm and clean. I cried for joy. It was then I realized that all the pain was worthwhile. Without it I would still be an ugly, soggy lump of wet clay. It was then that all the pain took on new meaning for me. It had passed, but the beauty it brought has

I want to remind you that no matter how the messed up your situation is your still in his hand..

I was just like this Vase

I was sinking deep in sin,

Far from the peaceful shore,

Very deeply stained within,

Sinking to rise no more;

But the Master of the sea

Heard my despairing cry,

From the waters lifted me,

Now safe am I.

No matter how low you maybe..Your still in his hand..

No matter the spinning and the breaking that maybe taking place in your life..

Your still in his hand..

There was song that said please be patient with me. God is not through with me yet..

There maybe one today that can say like the clay you can't understand why you are at this place in your life's

But it's a purpose behind it. It takes all of that to get to the finish product.

Your still in his hands

It was Jonah that God told to go to Ninevah, but Jonah fled to tarshish, but he was still in his hand.

God allowed the fish to swallow him but he was still in his hand, because he was still in his hand God allowed the fish to spit him up on dry land.

It was shadrach meeshach and Abednego, that refuse to bow to the image of Baal, but they were still in his hand, they were threw in the fire furnace. But they were still in his hand.

Daniel Was in his hand in the Lions Den.

We your in his hand, the whale can’t kill you. When your in his hand the fire can’t burn you, the lion can’t bite you. Depression can’t consume you, stress can’t agitated you

Is there anyone in here that can say I was like the clay mared but I’m so glad that God didn’t throw me away…

You out take a moment to praise God for keeping us in his hand.

I know I was marred but you kept me.

I know I made some mistakes but lord you kept me

Altar call.